02/19/2026
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE JANUARY 5, 2026 EDITION OF THE BINGHAMTON PRESS.
Logging is a very dangerous job. How ALIFT helps injured workers in Pennsylvania and southern tier New York.
Sunshyne Lynch
Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin
Jan. 5, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET
• Logging is the most dangerous job in the U.S., often leaving independent contractors without income after an injury.
• A retired forester established the Assisting Loggers Immediately Trust Fund (ALIFT) to help injured loggers in New York and Pennsylvania.
• The non-profit provides immediate financial assistance to injured independent loggers and their families.
• Since 2015, ALIFT has distributed over $154,500 to 83 families, funded entirely by donations.
Logging is the most dangerous job in the U.S., with accidents sometimes leaving loggers with serious injuries and mounting medical bills.
That is why one man decided something needed to change.
Jim Soltis, 69, of Tunkhannock, Pa., is a retired Certified Forester. He spent the last 36 years working closely with loggers across Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York.
As a forester, Soltis worked with many independent logging contractors who were not part of a union and had no employer-based benefits. He saw several of them get injured over the years, leaving them with little support while they were out of work.
This experience sparked an idea for Soltis — to establish a fund for injured independent loggers that would help them and their families while they recover from work-related injuries. Thus, the non-profit Assisting Loggers Immediately Trust Fund (ALIFT) was born.
ALIFT helps injured loggers across NY, PA
Soltis explained that, while these independent contractors do have insurance, it often takes time to "kick in" while they are out of work, and if they are not bringing logs to the sawmill, they are not getting paid.
Injuries leave loggers' families out of money for basic necessities like groceries and household bills. Soltis said that, while he saw a lot of community support for injured loggers, such as fundraisers, these types of efforts take time to put together, and it could still take weeks or months for the money to reach those in need.
This is why Soltis decided to create ALIFT in 2015, to ensure that injured workers would receive funds immediately, hopefully making the healing process even just a little bit easier and less stressful.
The growth of the non-profit has been beyond Soltis' "wildest dreams," he said. He further expressed the sense of "gratification" he feels for "being able to help people."
Since the fund was established, ALIFT has helped 83 families across all of Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York, totaling $154,500.
ALIFT is a non-profit organization funded solely by donations. To learn more about the organization or donate to the cause, visit the ALIFT page.
How ALIFT has impacted those in need
According to data drawn from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, based on the rate of fatal work injuries per 100,000 workers in 2023, logging workers had 99 fatalities per 100,000 workers, the highest rate in the nation. Other dangerous jobs included fishing and hunting workers (87 fatalities per 100,000) and roofers (52 fatalities).
Chuck Sweat, 39, of Nichols, and Fred Baker III, 52, of Mehoopany, Pa., know firsthand why logging is considered one of the most dangerous occupations,
Sweat is an independent logger and was working in Pennsylvania's Durham Township on Nov. 24, Soltis explained, when he was hit by a dead ash tree while topping another tree. Sweat was subsequently life-flighted to a Pocono-area hospital after suffering broken bones in his leg and back, broken ribs and a ruptured spleen.
Due to the seriousness of his injuries, Sweat will be out of work indefinitely and is still recovering.
Baker is also a self-employed logger and, as he explained, selectively cuts hardwood trees, bucks them into logs and sells them to local sawmills.
On Oct. 15 near Berwick, Pa., Baker was topping a dead ash tree that fell and hit him across the shoulder blades. Ultimately, Baker ended up with two fractured vertebrae in his back and a cut above his right eye.
Shortly after he was injured, Baker said Soltis and ALIFT board member Mark Ridell reached out to discuss his injury and recovery before stating they had a check for him.
"It definitely helped me while I was unable to work," Baker said. "I greatly appreciate the support I received from Jim and Mark and everyone at ALIFT."
Some of the guys Alift was able to help out in 2025.
